Andoni Iraola feared he could have been sacked by AFC Bournemouth Against Brighton Clash
ANDONI Iraola admits he feared he may have been close to getting sacked by Cherries after a slow start this season, saying he felt “it was a possibility, for sure”.
Cherries made the bold decision in the summer to replace Gary O’Neil with Iraola as head coach, despite the former having guided the club to Premier League safety.
Iraola was available having just left his role at Rayo Vallecano following the expiry of his contract. His exploits both at Rayo and former club Mirandes saw Iraola catch the eye of plenty of suitors, with Leeds United among those having shown an interest earlier in the year.
Cherries swooped in the summer to bring the 41-year-old to the club, but things did not start well.
Looking to implement an intense new style of play, results took a while to arrive.
After nine Premier League matches, Iraola was without a win as boss and Cherries sat in the relegation zone.
The final two games of that run saw an abject 3-0 loss at Everton, before capitulating to lose at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
But Cherries got their first win on the board in the following game, in front of owner Bill Foley, beating Burnley 2-1 at Vitality Stadium in late October.
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A 6-1 thrashing at champions Manchester City instantly followed, before pressure eased as the club shot up the table with a remarkable seven-game unbeaten run. Cherries won six of those matches, the crowning glory coming courtesy of a 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
With four matches to play, Cherries now sit in the top half and still have a mathematical chance of ending in a European qualification place.
Asked if he feared he could be sacked during the club’s poor start to the season, Iraola said: “It was a possibility, for sure.
“But not because I felt anything (from the board). I think I was probably the most worried, because you understand how football works.
“The club in every moment were, let’s say, not nervous. They were quite calm, because we had a really difficult schedule and they understood all the circumstances.
“But I always say I have to be thankful, more to the players than the club, because they continued doing the same things and even improving some ideas.
“They are the ones I think more responsible for the improvement.”
